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Shintaro Kazama
Shintaro Kazama '(風間 新太郎, ''Kazama Shintarō, also known as '''Shintaro Fuma in the English versions of the [[Yakuza|first Yakuza]], Yakuza 2, and Yakuza 3) is the Captain of the Dojima Family and later Patriarch of the Kazama Family. Biography Alongside his life in organized crime, Kazama owns the Sunflower Orphanage and thus foster father to Kiryu, Nishikiyama and his sister Yuko, and Yumi. Although he tries to discourage them from their wish, to become yakuza, at first, eventually he introduces Kiryu and Nishiki to the Dojima Family. He sustains an injury to his left leg in 1993 and is since seen walking with a cane. He's also the one who helps Kazuki to run Stardust host club as a legitimate business and mentored Masaru Sera to become a yakuza. Yakuza 0 Prior to and including the time of the events in Yakuza 0, he is imprisoned after having been arrested during a police raid on a gambling house he operated. Meanwhile, the remaining lieutenants are vying for his place. Even so, he proves to be working together with Tetsu Tachibana to secure the Empty Lot, and is the one pulling the strings behind Tachibana Real Estate's acquisition of the land. At the end of the game, Kiryu is seen visiting him in prison, confiding in Kazama that he plans to go back to the Dojima Family. Although having tried to dissuade him, Kazama assures Kiryu's suspicion that he already knew he would do this and gives his support. 1988-1995 Kazama assumes de facto ''control of Dojima Family following Sohei Dojima's appointment as a guardian to Masaru Sera. Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami In 1995, he plans for Kiryu to create his own family. Following the murder of Sohei Dojima at Nishikiyama's hands with Kiryu taking the blame, subsequently being imprisoned for the following ten years, the Kazama Family absorbs the remnants of the Dojima Family and he pushes for Nishiki to create his own faction, the Nishikiyama Family, instead. Five years later, there is a rift between the Kazama and Nishikiyama families and some of Kazama's men have desert to the rival family. Prior to the day of Kiryu's parole, now 2005, Kazama sends him a letter informing him of the events that transpired during his absence. Aided by Shinji Tanaka, Nishikiyama's lieutenant, planted in the family by Kazama, he and Kiryu meet secretly at Masaru Sera's funeral. While with Kiryu, however, Kazama is shot in an attempted assassination. As Kiryu has to flee the scene over being suspected to have shot him, Kazama is helped to a secret hospital by Shinji. Eventually he is left in the care of Yukio Terada, a member of the Tojo rival Omi Alliance, who is indebted to him. Kazama is kept safe and recovers on Terada's yacht until Kiryu can meet him. As they do, and Kazama reveals the truth about Yumi and her sister to Kiryu and Haruka, the Shimano Family attacks the yacht before being defeated by Kazama Family reinforcements. However, when Shimano patriarch Futoshi Shimano throws a grenade Kazama is fatally injured as he protects Haruka. Shortly before he dies, he reveals the truth of who stole the 10 billion yen as having been Yumi, Sera and himself, that the money belongs to Kyohei Jingu who used the Tojo Clan to launder money. He hands Kiryu Sera's will, which names the successor to Tojo's chairmanship. He admits to Kiryu and asks forgiveness for killing his parents, and tells him that Sunflower Orphanage is where he sent the children of the people he killed. Despite this, Kiryu forgives him and calls him his true father. A flashback reveals that he sustained the injury to his leg when he rescued Kiryu from torture at the hands of Lau Ka Long and the Snake Flower Triad. Yakuza 2/Yakuza Kiwami 2 It reveals that Kazama, alongside Shimano, participated in the raid on the Jingweon Mafia, 26 years before the events of the game. An action carried out at the behest of Sohei Dojima, Kazama only agreed to participate after much reluctance, unlike his partner in the operation. Kazama shows mercy during the shooting, sparing the lives of some Jingweon members, including Daejin Kim, and offering the Jingweon boss a deal, that if they left town their lives would be spared. However, a young Kiryu, concerned for Kazama's safety after he didn't make his annual visit to Sunflower at Christmas time, follows him, armed with a pipe. Spotting Kiryu and thinking he had been cheated, the Jingweon boss attempts to him, prompting Kazama to shoot the boss to protect Kiryu. With the survivors left by Kazama swearing revenge for their leader's and comrades' deaths, this is what causes the later events in the game.'' Yakuza 3 In Yakuza 3, Kazama seemingly returns and is involved in the Okinawa resort deal, and the shootings of Shigeru Nakahara and Daigo Dojima. The man thought to be him is later revealed to be his younger brother, Joji, who because of Shintaro's role as yakuza had to leave the Japanese police force and later emigrated to the United States to work for the CIA. Estranged because of their difficult relationship, Kazama never mentioned him to anyone . Appearance In his younger days during the Yakuza 2/Kiwami 2 1980 flashback, he wears a suit jacket over a navy blue shirt, a pair of leather gloves, a pair of dress pants and a pair of leather shoes. In Yakuza/Yakuza Kiwami, he wears a three-piece suit over a white shirt, a silver tie, and a pair of black dress shoes. At this point, he's seen using a cane due to an old injury. Personality As a person of principles, he was well-known and had gained the trust of many. As the financier of the Sunflower Orphanage, Kazama was always looking out for talented candidates to join the yakuza. Early on, he noticed the skills of Kazuma Kiryu and Nishiki and brought them into the organization on their insistence. Oddly enough, he was originally extremely against this and even "beat the snot" out of his two adoptive sons in order to try and prevent them going into the yakuza life. Kiryu pleased him greatly with his advances in the Dojima family, until the devastating incident that changed everything. Kazama also killed Kiryu's parents, along with the parents of all the children he takes into his orphanage. He's also a well-known tactician, being able to orchestrate intricate schemes from well behind the scenes. Gallery YakuzaKiwami-5 (2).jpg|Full-body render of Kazama in Yakuza Kiwami Yakuza_Fumaboxart_160w.jpg|Kazama in Yakuza 1 Fuma in Yakuza 0.jpeg|Kazama in Yakuza 0 (flashback) Shintaro Fuma.jpg|Kazama in Yakuza 1 Trivia * Shintaro Kazama's last name is very similar to Kiryu's given name, Kazuma. This is presumably why he was renamed "Fuma" in the English version, so that western audiences wouldn't be confused by the similar sounding names. * The kanji for Kazama 風間 can also incorrectly be read as "Fūma" so it may have been a simple translation error due to a translator working from script only. * He seems to be a proficient marksman, shown in a flashback cutscene in Kiwami where he's able to dual-wield a handgun. References Category:Characters Category:Tojo Clan Category:Dojima Family Category:Kazama Family Category:Sunflower Orphanage Category:Yakuza 0 characters Category:Yakuza characters Category:Yakuza Kiwami characters Category:Yakuza 2 characters Category:Yakuza Kiwami 2 Characters Category:Yakuza 3 Characters Category:Yakuza 0 Category:Yakuza Category:Yakuza 2 Category:Yakuza 3 Category:Males Category:Allies Category:Patriarchs